Apparatus for waxing beaker-like containers



Oct. 1, 1963 H. WEYHMUELLER APPARATUS FOR WAXING BEAKER-LIKE CONTAINERSINLET OPENING Filed May 51, 1960 United States Patent Ofiice 3,,ldfl7bPatented Oct. 1, 1963 3,105,776 APPARATUS FDR WAWG BEAKER-LIKECGNTADIERS Hermann Weyhmueiier,.18/20 Baurngartenstrasse, Nen-Uim(Danube), Germany Filed May 31, 195i), Ser. No. 32,963 Claims priority,appiication Germany .iuly 1, 1959 5 Ciainis. (Cl. 11852) The inventionconcerns a method and apparatus for waxing beaker-like hollow bodiesand, more particularly for waxing containers made of hard paper, such aseakers, ice cream tubs or.other packing containers for foodstufis andsweetmeats.

The purpose of waxing is to increase the stability of the container andto impregnate the surface of the material of which the container is madethereby protecting it against being penetrated by the various liquids ofthe filling materials which, particularly in the case of acids, fats andoils, is of considerable significance. Waxing prevents seepage throughthe packing.

Waxing has hitherto been carried out in special large installations ormachines either by means of spraying devices or by dipping the entirecontainer in a liquid wax bath. The excess wax, in these knowninstallations, is then drained. Thus, besides control of the temperaturefor draining, there is no possibility for the thickness of wax on thehollow bodies to be regulated. In known apparatus the containers areconveyed through the draining chamber by means of special carriers, thelatter merely assuming the function as holders and conveying means. Ifthe temeprature of the wax bath or of the draining chamber has not beenset correctly, then it is possible for drops of wax to remain on theedges of the containers and at a later stage to cause interruptions whenmaking further use of the containers, for example, in automaticmachines. For this reason known draining chambers have a large overalllength and occupy considerable space. Attempts have indeed been made toconduct the conveying means for the containers in tiers which, however,necessitated large quantities of heat and involved heavy operatingcosts.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioneddifhculties.

According to the present invention, one or more containers are passedthrough a waxing tank by rotation of a container-support member on whichthey are carried, the or each container subsequently being subjected toa rotary movement about its own axis. At least the inner surface of theor each container may be sprayed with wax before being immersed in thewaxing tank. The rotary movement of the or each container about its ownaxis may commence immediately on leaving the waxing tank and terminatebefore reaching the uppermost rotary position of the container stand.

Also according to the present invention, an apparatus for waxingbeaker-like containers comprises the starshaped rotary member, providedwith one or a plurality of rotatably mounted holding arms, arrangedabove a waxing tank, the or each container being adapted to be supportedby one holding arm in such a way that it is passed through the waxingtank, a driving means coupled to the holding arms, being adapted torotate each holding arm about its own axis.

Each individual holding arm may comprise a cage-like holder, adapted toreceive the container, having a shaft arranged substantially radiallywith respect to the axis of the star-shaped rotary body and rigidlyconnected with the cage-like container, the shaft in turn beingrotatably mounted in bearings connected with the star-shaped r0- tarymember. The shaft of the or each holding arm may carry a driving wheel,such as a friction wheel upon which a gearing, independent of the drivemeans for the star-shaped rotary member, is adapted to act temporarilyto produce the additional rotary movement. The shaft of the or eachholding arm may be mounted in its bearings so as to be swingable atright angles to its axis, for example, in such a way that a bearingswingably mounted in a pedestal bearing and a second bearing are adaptedto be reciprocated at right angles to the holding ar-m shaft.

The gearing for the drive means of the holding-arm shafts may consist ofa friction wheel mounted co-axially with respect to the star-shapedrotary member axis, against which friction wheel the friction wheelarranged on the shaft of the holding arm is adapted to be swung. Thefriction wheel may be of the drive mounted so as to be rotatable on theshaft of the star-shaped rotary member with variable speed.

A stirrup-like closure member, connected with the holder may constitutea locking means adapted to close the mouth of the cage-like holder toretain the individual containers. Preferably, the stirrup-like closuremember is pivotably mounted on the holder and is adapted to be actuatedby means of a cam track.

The waxing tank may be vertically adjustable relative to the axis of thestar-shaped rotary member. For this purpose the waxing tank is supportedon pairs of levers arranged so as to be swung mutually parallel relativeto one another and provided with supporting rollers at the free endsthereof.

A spray pump may be arranged in the region of the waxing tank, and be soadjusted that a spraying nozzle sprays the wax into the container beforethe latter is immersed in the Wax bath.

A feed device may be provided, which is adapted to feed individually thecontainers which are stacked one within the other to the cage-likecontainers and a stacking device adapted to remove the containers afterwaxing,

The invention will be described further, by way of ex ample, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a digrammatic side-elevational view of a Waxing deviceconstructed in accordance with the invention;

F16. 2 is a longitudinal section through the device shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of an individual holder adapted toreceive a hollow body to be waxed.

The waxing device in accordance with the invention is arranged in aframe 1 encased all around with heatinsulating panels.

A heata'ole waxing tank 2, having a spraying pump 3 driven by means ofan electric motor 4, is disposed in the lower frame region. Heatingmeans, not shown in detail, may comprise, for example, heating rods 2which are disposed in the walls of the tank or in the tank bottom. Theposition of the waxing tank 2 is vertically adjustable and is shown inthe drawings in its upper openational position. By means of a hand wheel5 and a threaded spindle 6, levers '7 journaled at 8 are swung about, tiu-s allowing the waxing tank 2, which is mounted on rollers 9, to beraised or lowered.

In the apparatus shown, a supporting Wheel 11 and a friction wheel 12,are arranged on a common shaft it The friction wheel 12 which isrotatably mounted on the shaft iii, is driven by means of a variabledrive 13, whereas supperting wheel 11 is fixedly mounted on the shaftlib and is moved by a driving gear 14 at constant speed. Both drives 13and 1-!- may emanate from a centrally driven power take-off shaft.

Supporting arms 15 are radially disposed and rotatably mounted on thesupporting wheel 11. Arms 15 are journaled in the angle supports 16 bymeans of pivot bearings 16'. A second mounting of the holding arms iseffected in swivel bearings 17 of bars 17, which are axiallydisplaceable in the supporting wheel 11. These bars 17 by way ofcam-follower rollers 13 strike against a fixed cam track 25 as soon asfriction discs 19, mounted on the ends of the holding arms 15, engagethe friction wheel 12.

On the other end of the holding arms 15 there are mountedinterchangeable wire holder cages having me taining stirrups 21 (FIG. 3)serving a locking means. These retaining stirrups 21 are so controlledvia a pivot 22, swivel levers 23 and tilting levers 26 by a fixed camtrack 24 that the wire cages 2d are open only in the upper position forcharging and discharging. The lever 23 is swung by means of a collar 27adapted to be reciprocated vertically.

The waxing device described above functions as follows:

Containers 28 not yet waxed are charged individually by hand orautomatically into the cage-like holders through an opening 1'. This ispreferably carried out in one of the upper positions of the cages. Inthese positions the stirrup 21 associated with the cage 23 has beenswung out laterally. To obtain this movement, it is sufficient for a camroller mounted on the lever 23 to strike against a fixed cam track 214during rotation of the star-shaped rotary member 11. During thecontinuous or stepwise advance of the star-shaped rotary member If, theinserted container gets into the spraying range of the spray head 3, bymeans of which at least the inner wall surface of the container issprayed. Subsequently the container 28, retained on all sides isimmersed in the waxing tank 2 which is angularly ofiset from the spraymeans 3. Immediately on leaving the waxing tank 2 the cam roller 18strikes against a cam track 25 and urges the friction di c 19 againstthe friction wheel 12, which is constantly rotating. In this manner theindividual hold ing arm 15 with the holder 2i and the container 28 arerapidly rotated, during the course of which, the excess wax iscentrifugally thrown off. In the upper frame re-' gion, the stirrup 21is again swung away to allow the Waxed container 28 to be manually orautomatically removed and, if necessary, supplied to a cooling device.

When spraying the wax it is possible for the speed of the holding arms15 to be varied by adjusting the continuous drive 13. This maxes itpossible to vary the application thickness and density of the wax. Forthis reason it is also advisable for the radial rotary member 11 and thefriction wheel 12 to be driven independently of one another. It is alsopossible to dispense with immersion waxing and for the containers 28merely to be sprayed internally and externally with wax.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for coating containers with wax, said apparatuscomprising a housing forming a substantially closed, heated waxingchamber formed with an opening for supplying containers to be coated tosaid chamber and for discharging coated containers therefrom; acontainer-support member journaled in said housing and provided with aplurality of angularly spaced radial shafts rotatably journaled thereonwithin said chamber; a respective container lholder secured to the outerextremity of each of said shafts for releasably engaging one of saidcontainers; first drive means for rotating said containersupport member;wax-depositing means angularly offset from said opening forwardlythereof in the path of said holders for covering with liquid wax wallsof each container inserted into a respective container holder at saidopening upon rotation of said support member; and second drive meanseffective at a location angularly offset from said wax-depositing meansforwardly thereof for rotating each of said shafts upon displacementthereof past said wax-depositing means at a rate sufificientcentrifugally to dislodge excess liquid wax from the walls of containerscarried by said shafts and to distribute wax adhering to said wallssubstantially uniformly thereon.

2. An apparatus for coating containers with wax, said apparatuscomprising a housing forming a substantially ing for rotation about asubstantially horizontal axis and provided with a plurality of angularlyspaced radial shafts rotatably iournaled thereon within said chamber; arespective container holder secured to the outer extremity of each ofsaid shafts for releasably engaging one of said containers; first drivemeans for rotating said containersupport member; wax-depositing meansangularly offset from said opening, said wax-depositing means beingdisposed below said opening and forwardly thereof in the path of saidholders for covering with liquid wax walls of each container insertedinto a respective container holder at said opening upon rotation of saidsupport member; and second drive means effective at a location angularlyoffset from said wax-depositing means forwardly thereof for rotatingeach of said shafts upon displacement thereof past said waxdepositingmeans at a rate sufiicient centrifugally to dislodge excess liquid waxfrom the walls of containers carried by said shafts and to distributewax adhering to said walls substantially uniformly thereon.

3. An apparatus for coating containers with wax, said apparatuscomprising a housing forming a substantially closed, heated waxingchamber formed with an upper opening for supplying containers to becoatedto said chamber and for discharging coated containers therefrom; acontainer-support member journaled in said housing for rotation about asubstantially horizontal axis and provided with a plurality of angularlyspaced radial shafts rotatably journaled thereon within said chamber; arespective container holder secured to the outer extremity of each ofsaidshafts for'releasably engaging one of said containers; first drivemeans for rotating said container-support member; wax-depositing meansangularly offset from said opening, said wax-depositing means beingdisposed below said lopeningand forwardly thereof in the path of saidholders for covering with liquid wax walls' of each container insertedinto a respective container holder at said opening upon rotation of saidsupport member; second drive means effective at a location said locationtoward said opening and closing said loclo' ing means upon the advanceof said holders from said opening toward said wax-depositing means.

4. An apparatus for coating containers with wax, said apparatuscomprising a housing forming a substantially closed, heated waxingchamber formed with an opening for supplying containers to be coated tosaid chamber and for discharging coated containers therefrom; a

' container-support member journaled in said housing and provided with aplurality of angularly spaced radial shafts rotatably journaled thereonwithin said chamber; a respective container holder secured to the outerextremity of each of said shafts for releasably engaging one of saidcontainers; first drive means for rotating said containensupport member;wax-depositing means includ-y ing a tault of liquid wax angularly offsetfrom said opening, said tank being disposed below said opening forwardlythereof in the path of said holders whereby containers carried by thelatter are immersed successively in said liquid wax, thereby coveringwith liquid wax walls of each container inserted into a respectivecontainer holder at said opening upon rotation of said support member;and second drive means efiective at a location angularly offset fromsaid wax-depositing means forwardly thereof for rotating each of saidshafts upon displacement thereof past said Wax-depositing means at arate suflicient centrifugally to dislodge excess liquidwax from thewalls of containers carried by said shafts and to distribute waxadhering to said walls substantially uniformly thereon.

5. An apparatus for coating containers with Wax, said apparatuscomprising a housing forming a substantially closed, heated waxingchamber formed with an upper opening for supplying containers to becoated to said chamber and for discharging coated containers therefrom;a container-support member journaled in said housing for rotation abouta substantially horizontal axis and provided with a plurality ofangularly spaced radial shafts rotatably journaled thereon Within saidchamber; a respective container holder secured to the outer extremity ofeach of said shafts for releasably engaging one of said containers;first drive means for rotating said container-support member;wax-depositing means including a nozzle for spraying liquid wax into theinteriors of said containers angularly offset from said opening, saidnozzle being disposed below said opening forwardly thereof adjacent thepath of said holders where by containers carried by the latter aresuccessively sprayed With said liquid Wax, thereby covering with liquidWax interior Walls of each container inserted into a respectivecontainer holder at said opening upon rotation of said support member;and second drive means effective at a location angularly offset fromsaid wax-depositing means forwardly thereof for rotating each of saidshafts upon displacement thereof past said Wax-depositing means at arate suificient centrifugally to dislodge excess liquid wax from theWalls of containers carried by said shafts and to distribute Waxadhering to said walls substantially uniformly thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,404,309 McDonald Jan. 24, 1922 1,977,704 Vaughn et al. Oct. 23, 19342,119,720 Reifsnyder June 7, 1938 2,699,750 Wittkuhns et a1. Jan. 18,1955 2,821,158 Brown et a1 Jan. 28, 1958 2,839,025 Burke et al June 17,1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 341,908 Great Britain Jan. 15, 1931

1. AN APPARATUS FOR COATING CONTAINERS WITH WAX, SAID APPARATUSCOMPRISING A HOUSING FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED, HEATED WAXINGCHAMBER FORMED WITH AN OPENING FOR SUPPLYING CONTAINERS TO BE COATED TOSAID CHAMBER FOR SUPPLYING CONTAINERS TO BE COATED TO SAID CHAMBER ANDFOR DISCHARGING COATED CONTAINERS THREFROM; A CONTAINER-SUPPORT MEMBERJOURNALED IN SAID HOUSING AND PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF ANGULARLYSPACED RADIAL SHAFTS ROTATABLY JOURNALED THEREON WITHIN SAID CHAMBER; ARESPECTIVE CONTAINER HOLDER SECURED TO THE OUTER EXTREMITY OF EACH OFSAID SHAFTS FOR RELEASABLY ENGAGING ONE OF SAID CONTAINERS; FIRST DRIVEMEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CONTAINERSUPPORT MEMBER; WAX-DEPOSITING MEANSANGULARLY OFFSET FROM SAID OPENING FORWARDLY THEREOF IN THE PATH OF SAIDHOLDERS FOR COVERING WITH LIQUID WAX WALLS OF EACH CONTAINER INSERTEDINTO A RESPECTIVE CONTAINER HOLDER AT SAID OPENING UPON ROTATION OF SAIDSUPPORT MEMBER; AND SECOND DRIVE MEANS EFFECTIVE AT A LOCATION ANGULARLYOFFSET FROM SAID WAX-DEPOSITING MEANS FORWARDLY THEREOF FOR ROTATINGEACH OF SAID SSHAFTS UPON DISPLACEMENT THEREOF PAST SAID WAX-DEPOSITINGMEANS AT A RATE SUFFICIENT CENTRIFUGALLY TO DISLODGE EXCESS LIQUID WAXFROM THE WALLS OF CONTAINERS CARRIED BY SAID SHAFTS AND TO DISTRIBUTEWAX ADHERING TO SAID WALLS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY THEREON.